Stepping Up
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: AU for The Proof in The Pudding. Angela was pregnant, and Hodgins steps up to the plate. Snapshots into the lives of the Montenegro-Hodgins'. Angela/Hodgins


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

**Author's Note**: This idea grabbed on to me and wouldn't let go. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Hodgins offered to go with Angela to tell Wendell about the pregnancy, but she declined, citing the fact that Wendell probably wouldn't want them there. "Promise to call me after you're done," Hodgins told her.

"I promise," Angela answered. She smiled at him. She still couldn't believe he had offered to raise another man's baby with her just in case Wendell didn't want to be involved!

Hodgins smiled back and watched as Angela walked away to inform Wendell of her pregnancy. No matter what, he was going to be there for her.

Angela showed up at Hodgins' house about three hours later, eyes puffy. "Can I come in?" she questioned.

"Of course you can. Ange, what happened?" Hodgins hoped Wendell hadn't hurt her. Even though his plan had involved Wendell not being involved, Hodgins didn't want Wendell to be a deadbeat father.

She sat down on the couch, and Hodgins followed. "I told him that I was pregnant and he reacted really well. Wendell wants to be a father. Then he proposed. Told me that we should get married so the baby has a stable environment. A mom and dad together. Then Wendell said that we should get married as soon as possible so everything is fine before the baby gets here. I told him about your offer, and he got mad. We started to fight, and it ended with me breaking up with him. Wendell definitely wants to be involved, but he said to tell you that you can be the father. He said it hurts him, but he'll be fine with visitation only." With that, Angela burst into sobs.

Hodgins pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Ange. I had hoped things would work out for you and Wendell, even though it would have killed me. I love you and I'm going to be there for you and Baby Montenegro."

"Thank you so much. I love you," Angela whispered. She wasn't going to start up her relationship with Hodgins just yet, but she knew it was inevitable.

"You don't have to thank me. And I love you, too." Hodgins wasn't about to take advantage of Angela right now, especially since she was pregnant and had just gotten out of a relationship. He'd wait for her.

"Can I stay here tonight? I don't feel like going home." Angela was starting to feel better now, although she was worried about telling everyone else about her pregnancy.

"Of course you can." Hodgins wasn't going to leave her alone now. Angela needed some support. Hopefully, Dr. Brennan and Cam would help her through the next nine months, too.

"I need to do a lot of stuff. Make a doctor's appointment and tell our friends about the baby." Now Angela couldn't stop worrying.

"Ange, worry in the morning. Everything is going to be okay. Don't panic just yet." Hodgins rubbed her back and watched as she headed off towards a guest bedroom. He returned to his room.

The next morning, Angela made an appointment with her OB/GYN. After that, she and Hodgins drove to The Jeffersonian together.

"You look ill," Brennan observed. She wondered if it _was _Angela that was pregnant.

"Can I talk to you about that? Come with us, Booth." Angela was terrified to tell her best friend she was going to be a mom. Booth was easier to tell, enough oddly enough.

Booth and Brennan exchanged a look. "What do you want to talk to us about?" questioned Booth. He knew Cam had been freaking out earlier about a positive pregnancy test from Michelle, but wasn't sure what Angela had to do with it.

Angela took a deep breath. She could do this without Hodgins. "That was my pregnancy test yesterday. I'm pregnant. The baby is Wendell's, but we broke up last night. We both wanted different things out of our relationship. Hodgins offered to be a part of the baby's life, and I think we'll be getting back together eventually."

Booth and Brennan stared at her in shock. Booth was the first to recover. "Congratulations, Ange. You're going to be an awesome mom. Now I'm going to go have a little talk with Wendell."

"Yes, congratulations. I'm happy for you," Brennan informed her. She hugged Angela and Booth followed suit.

"You don't have to talk to Wendell," Angela whispered to Booth. She didn't want either one of the men getting hurt.

"Let me do this. He's my friend, but I just want to have a conversation with him. I promise that it won't turn physical." Booth turned around and left.

"So how far into the pregnancy are you?" Brennan asked. She was pretty curious about her best friend's pregnancy.

Angela shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I have a doctor's appointment for tomorrow afternoon. It's the earliest I could get in. Hodgins is going with me. I need to tell Wendell about it. He may want to be there, too."

"Good luck." Brennan smiled at her and returned to her office.

Angela had a hard time concentrating all day, but luckily there wasn't all that much for her to do. She was definitely going to design the nursery. There was so many names to choose from, too! Luckily, there were several months to think about names.

The next day, it was time for Angela's appointment. Hodgins went, but Wendell declined, telling her that he could go to other appointments with her. He had apologized for his behavior two days earlier, something Angela attributed to Booth's conversation with the intern.

"Congratulations, Miss Montenegro. You're definitely pregnant. You're six weeks along. I'm going to prescribe you some prenatal vitamins and ask that you make an appointment with my receptionist," the doctor informed her.

"Thank you," a tearful Angela said. She had gotten pregnant in December then, about a month after she and Wendell got together."

"You're welcome," the doctor replied. She smiled at Angela and left the room to go check on another patient.

"You have seven months to go," Hodgins said. He didn't know why he was so surprised she was only six weeks along.

"Yup," Angela said. She stopped to make an appointment at the desk. On the way home, Angela's prescription was filled.

Hodgins and Angela weren't back together yet, but they were definitely on their way to reuniting.

XXXXXXXXXXX

In Angela's sixth month of pregnancy, everything changed. She finally realized she was ready to have a relationship again with Hodgins.

Wendell and Angela's friendship had floundered for a few weeks after the announcement of her pregnancy, but they were okay now. Wendell had realized what a jerk he was being, and had apologized. He had agreed to be involved in the baby's life and pay child support. Angela had declined the child support option, but was letting him be involved. Hodgins was planning on adopting the baby after Angela gave birth.

Wendell had also apologized to Hodgins, and had given him permission to adopt the baby. He realized he wanted a family, but wasn't ready to be a father. Just having visitation was enough for him.

A few weeks earlier, Angela had learned she was having a little girl. She couldn't wait to meet her daughter. Hodgins was just as excited about the baby being a girl.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Hodgins questioned. He had been worrying about her a lot lately now that Angela was further along.

"Just thinking about how our life is going to change in a few months. I can't wait to meet Lily." Angela, Hodgins, and Wendell had come up with the name Lily Temperance Montenegro-Hodgins just two weeks earlier.

"Me neither." He smiled at her. Hodgins couldn't wait to become a father. He was so excited about meeting Lily and watching her grow up.

Angela sighed. "Hodgins, I'm ready. I want to be in a relationship with you again. I love you so much." She couldn't want to marry him.

Hodgins stared at her for a minute and then swooped in for a hug. "I love you too, Ange. I'm so glad you're ready to be in a relationship." He was happy he waited for her to be ready for another chance at their relationship.

"Lily's happy too," Angela murmured as the baby kicked her. She gasped as Hodgins got down on one knee. She began to cry.

"Will you marry me, Angela? You're the best thing to ever happen to me." He was nervous, although he wasn't sure why.

Angela nodded. "Yes!" she cried. She cried as Hodgins slipped the engagement ring on her finger. Angela was briefly surprised it still fit since her fingers were swollen.

"I'm going to call Bren now. She'll want to know. She's definitely going to be my maid-of-honor." She kissed her fiancé and got out her cell phone to tell her best friend about the engagement.

While Angela talked to Brennan, Hodgins decided to call Booth and ask him to be his best man again. Hopefully, this wedding would go better than their last attempt.

Angela came back in a few minutes later. "Why don't we invite everyone over for dinner tonight? We need to celebrate. Should we tell Wendell? It might hurt him."

"Ange, of course we'll have a celebration dinner tonight. And invite Wendell. I told him months ago I was planning on proposing again, just didn't know when. He was fine with it." Hodgins couldn't wait to marry her.

Angela squealed excitedly and ran as fast as she could to the kitchen to plan dinner. Two months earlier, she had moved in with Hodgins. Despite the fact that they were still just friends at that point, both knew they'd get back together.

Around 6:00PM, the first guests – Cam and Michelle – showed up. Booth, Brennan, and Parker followed about ten minutes later, while Sweets, Daisy, and Wendell all arrived less than five minutes later.

"When do you think you want to get married?" questioned a curious Michelle. She thought these two were adorable.

Angela shrugged. "We rushed into our last wedding and it didn't turn out well. Maybe we'll wait until Lily is a little bit older." She didn't care when they got married as long as they actually did.

"We don't know all the details yet," Hodgins chimed in. He and Angela still needed to think about Lily's arrival in a few months. She was currently their priority.

After dinner ended, the girls sat in the kitchen and just talked. The men went into the living room and turned on a sports game.

The next day, Angela had a doctor's appointment. It was in the morning, so she was planning on going into work late. Hodgins had to be at The Jeffersonian, so he couldn't make her appointment.

She was on her way to the Jeffersonian after the appointment when suddenly the car was on the other side of the road. A car had plowed into Angela, sending her car a few feet away from its original position. Against her will, she slipped into unconsciousness only a few seconds later.

Angela woke up in the hospital. The first thing she saw was Hodgins sitting in a chair. "Jack, what's going on?" she mumbled.

"Hey, Ange. You were in a pretty bad car accident. Don't worry about Lily. You're both fine. You have a small concussion, some bruises, and a broken wrist, but that's it. They did an ultrasound, and the baby's fine." Hodgins had freaked out when he got the call from the hospital. Cam had calmed him down. She had driven him and Brennan to the hospital. Booth and Sweets had shown up half an hour after they had.

"I hurt," Angela reluctantly admitted. She never liked to admit when she was in pain.

"I know you do, Baby. Just go back to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up." Hodgins tenderly kissed her on the forehead and then sat down in the uncomfortable chair.

"Love you." Angela fell asleep before she heard Hodgins telling her he loved her too.

Two days later, Angela was discharged from the hospital and went home with her fiancé. She and Lily were both still okay.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I am never having sex again!" Angela cried as a contraction rippled through her. The contractions were ten minutes apart. She had already been to the hospital once, and they had sent her home for the time being, so Angela was waiting it out at work.

Up until ten hours ago, she had only been suffering from Braxton-Hicks contractions. Angela was a week overdue and miserable.

"You'll change your mind soon," Cam comforted. Hodgins was reluctantly working a case. Booth had come by with a case earlier, and everyone was working on it. Cam was currently on "Watch Angela" duty. Brennan was next up, if Angela didn't go to the hospital soon.

"How is she?" asked Sweets, briefly coming into the office to check on the pregnant woman. He was slightly terrified to see her in labor, but was still worried about Angela.

"In pain," Cam informed him as Angela stood up and started to walk around the room.

Three hours later the case was solved, and Angela's contractions were five minutes apart. Everyone followed her and Hodgins to the hospital.

Wendell was out of town taking care of a sick relative, and was unable to make it back in time for Lily's birth. He promised to come as soon as possible. He really wanted to meet his still unborn daughter.

"You're okay, Baby. This contraction is nearly over. You sure you don't want an epidural?" Hodgins questioned. Angela had been determined to have a natural birth for the past few months, and wasn't giving up on that idea.

"I'm sure," Angela told him once the contraction ended. She really hated labor, but knew the end result was worth it. In as little as a few hours, she'd be holding Lily in her arms. She and Hodgins couldn't wait to meet their daughter.

Five hours later, Hodgins let Angela grip his hand as she bore down and pushed several times. Lily Temperance Montenegro-Hodgins cried and screamed her way into the world at seven pounds, four ounces.

XXXXXXXX

"You need to go to sleep, Baby Girl. Mommy and Daddy need their rest," Angela whispered to her four day old daughter. She and Lily had been discharged from the hospital two days earlier. Wendell had stopped by the house and visited Lily for hours. He adored her, but it wasn't the right time for him to be a father.

"I'm surprised she's still awake," Hodgins commented, entering the nursery. Lily had been sleeping a lot since coming home from the hospital. Waking up in the middle of the night wasn't fun, but he and Angela didn't mind all that much.

"It's okay. We'll go to sleep." Angela smiled at the newborn. She couldn't believe she was a mom now. It was such a weird thing to think of herself as, but she already loved Lily so much.

"I love you, Ange. Love you too, Lily." Hodgins kissed both of them and headed for his bedroom to try and sleep for the next few hours.

"We'll let your daddy sleep for awhile, Lil. You like that idea? You know that you're loved by a lot of people, right? Mommy designed your nursery. I'm an artist. I help catch bad guys. So does Daddy. Your other daddy helps out sometimes. You already met Uncle Booth, Aunt Bren, Aunt Cam, Uncle Sweets, Aunt Daisy, and Michelle. You'll meet Parker soon. He might get you sick. And Daddy and I are taking you to see Uncle Zack when you're a little bit older. Grandpa is coming to visit you soon. I know he'll sing you a song. He's in a really famous band. That'll get you some cool points with your friends. Lily, you were unexpected in my life, but don't ever think that you weren't wanted. You're beautiful and I will never regret having you." Angela smiled as the baby's eyes closed. She stood up and walked into the bedroom, placing Lily in the bassinet.

Angela loved being a mother so far. Lily had definitely been worth the eighteen hours of labor she had suffered through. Hodgins was a great father already. She had already figured out that Lily was a Daddy's Girl.

She couldn't wait to see Lily grow up.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Fourteen months later, the Montenegro-Hodgins family visited the Brennan-Booths in the hospital. It turned out that Booth and Brennan had started a relationship during Angela's pregnancy, and it was only revealed a few weeks after Lily's birth.

Brennan had decided to start thinking about becoming a mother again after meeting Lily, and she and Booth had discussed kids. They had waited a few months before deciding to start trying for a baby.

"What's his name?" questioned an excited Sweets. He loved being Lily's uncle, and couldn't wait to spoil this baby.

Booth laughed at the psychologist. "This is Caleb Hank Booth," he explained to his and Bones' friends.

"That's cute." Caleb was setting off Angela's biological clock, even though she and Hodgins already had a fourteen month old. Their wedding was in eight months and she really didn't want to be pregnant then.

"You two going to have any more kids?" Cam asked Booth and Brennan. Parker was busy staring at his new half-brother, and Brennan just watched the two interact.

"We're not sure yet. A little girl might be nice, but Bones only wanted one baby." Booth was fine with having two sons.

Temperance looked up from Parker and Caleb. "We'll have to discuss having another child. I did just go through labor. Angela, how did you do it?"

Angela laughed at her best friend. "Sweetie, you were in labor for six hours and had an epidural. I was in labor for eighteen and had a natural childbirth. We had two completely different experiences. But it was definitely hard. I'm not sure if I could go through it again."

"First time mothers have longer labors. Mine was a rare experience," Brennan commented. She couldn't help but smile when Caleb let out a little wail and quieted down almost immediately because of Parker.

When visiting hours were over, Angela and Hodgins picked up Lily from the baby sitter and returned home. The fourteen month old babbled the entire car ride.

"I saw you looking at Caleb earlier. You're thinking about another one, aren't you?" Hodgins questioned after he and Angela put Lily to bed.

Angela nodded. "It's just a phase. I think it happens to some women when they see a baby. But I'm fine with Lily. Besides, she's only fourteen months old. We can wait a few more years before we have another baby. And Hodgins, we should wait until after the wedding. I don't want to be knocked up then."

"You've thought about this a lot. Ange, it's okay to want another baby. I want to give Lily a sibling. If we conceived now, the kids would only be twenty-three months apart. A two year age difference isn't that bad. And who cares if you're pregnant at our wedding? You'll still be beautiful." Hodgins would love to add to his and Angela's family.

"We'll talk in the morning about this, but you're starting to convince me," Angela replied. She kissed him, and the couple headed off to their bedroom.

The next morning, the discussion about having another baby started up again. Luckily, it was the weekend and the couple had off work.

"We have enough room and money to expand our family," Hodgins pointed out. They lived in a mansion. Neither of those things would be an issue.

"If I get pregnant again, the kids will be pretty close in age and school will be easier." Angela had initially wanted to wait at least four years before having another baby, but it looked like that wasn't happening.

"You want to try for another one?" Hodgins was hopeful she'd say yes. They could handle a two year old and a newborn, couldn't they?

Angela sighed. "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, then that's okay, too. How about that?" She wouldn't be heartbroken if she and Hodgins didn't conceive, but it'd be nice to have a second baby.

"Okay," Hodgins agreed. He smiled and kissed her. A few minutes later, he and Angela were in their bedroom, unofficially trying for a second baby.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Eight months later, Angela and Jack prepared to walk down the aisle and get married. Angela was finally going to become Angela Montenegro-Hodgins. She couldn't wait.

"I feel enormous. This is not how I pictured my wedding day going, but it's okay. I'm happy to be marrying the love of my life," Angela complained to Brennan, Daisy, and Cam.

"Nobody pictures walking down the aisle seven months pregnant with twins," Cam pointed out to her. She backed off when Angela glared at her.

"You look beautiful, Ange." Temperance meant it. She was thrilled to be her best friend's maid-of-honor. And it didn't matter that Angela was pregnant.

Angela and Hodgins had conceived a month after they unofficially started trying to have a baby. They were shocked a few months later to learn they were having twins.

In two months, the couple would be welcoming two sons, names still unknown. Lily's name had just come to Angela. She and Hodgins were having a hard time with names for the twins.

"You'll be Dr. Hodgins' wife in a few hours. Isn't that exciting?" questioned Daisy. She thought it was stupid of Angela to freak out like this, but it was okay. All brides freaked out a few hours before their wedding.

Temperance smiled when twenty-two month old Lily handed her a flower from the basket. "Thank you," she told the toddler. Lily was the flower girl today.

"Welcome," the baby answered. She giggled and walked over to the couch. She climbed up on it and sat down next to eight month old Caleb. Lily loved playing with Booth and Brennan's son. They were already best friends.

A few hours later, everyone clapped as Angela and Hodgins officially became husband and wife. "I love you," Hodgins whispered later that night at the reception.

"I love you too," Angela whispered back. She smiled at her new husband. She couldn't believe she had married him.

"I know this isn't how you pictured our wedding day, but I think it went pretty well." Hodgins hadn't thought he'd get Angela pregnant so soon, especially not with twins.

"It was a perfect day. We have our daughter here with us, and who cares if our sons are kicking up a storm tonight? We're married now, and that's all that matters." Angela knew she wouldn't mind later that she was seven months pregnant and huge at the wedding.

"I can't wait to get away for the weekend." Hodgins wanted to spend some alone time with his wife. That was pretty rare now that they had Lily, and would become even more rare after the twins were born. Alone time when you had a toddler and two newborns would be pretty hard to get.

"Me neither. At least Wendell is taking her." Wendell was involved in Lily's life and had visitation every other weekend. Once she was a little older, he'd get her for two weeks during the summer. Lily referred to him as "Wen", though. Hodgins was Daddy, and always had been. Wendell didn't mind so much.

Angela and Hodgins left for their two day honeymoon later that night, after everyone had left the reception.

The Montenegro-Hodgins family of three had had fun at the wedding, and they couldn't wait to expand their family in two months.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm telling you, Bren, don't ever have twins. They're exhausting," Angela complained three months later as her and Hodgins' two and a half week old twin sons started to cry again.

"Twin pregnancies are going up, but they're not in either of our families," an amused Temperance replied as she fed eleven month old Caleb.

"Have you and Booth thought about having another one?" Angela questioned as she sat down to breastfeed the boys.

Temperance nodded. "We're going to try again once Caleb is a little older. That will be our final child. Booth is going in for a vasectomy after that. Parker, Caleb, and whatever baby after that will be enough for us." She loved being a mother, but wanted to wait a few more years. She saw the strain that two newborns and a toddler had on Angela and Hodgins.

Two year old Lily walked into the kitchen with her Uncle Booth and led him towards the kitchen cabinets. "What's in there, Baby Girl?" he asked her.

"Candy!" she cried happily. The little girl loved chocolate, but was only allowed to have it in moderation.

Booth looked towards Angela. "She can have a piece of chocolate," she allowed. She smiled when she saw that Liam and Patrick were done eating. She placed the newborns in their bassinets.

William Zachary and Patrick Seeley Montenegro-Hodgins had been born two and a half weeks earlier, after thirteen hours of labor. This time, Angela had taken the epidural. It was definitely hard taking care of Lily, Liam, and Patrick, but she and Hodgins were getting through it. They just had a lot of sleepless nights.

"Thank you," Lily told Booth when he gave her a candy bar. The two walked out of the kitchen together. Lily was adjusting to being a big sister relatively well. The boys had arrived about a week after her second birthday.

The Montenegro-Hodgins house was in chaos, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When Lily started pre-school a year later, both Hodgins and Angela had a hard time with letting their little girl go. "Mommy and Daddy, I'll be fine." Lily was ready to start school, but the three year old was being driven crazy by her worried parents.

"We're just worried," Angela told her as she pushed the double stroller back and forth to calm down Liam and Patrick. The thirteen month olds were starting to get cranky.

Lily huffed. "It's just school," she pointed out. She didn't understand why her parents were acting like this. Wen had acted like this too, but he hadn't been as bad.

The couple knew they couldn't reason with a three year old, so they let it go. "Daddy and I love you so much. We'll pick you up soon. We promise."

"Be good," Hodgins told his daughter. He and Angela reluctantly walked away and left Lily in pre-school for the first time. They dropped off Liam and Patrick at daycare before making their way to work.

"Lily okay?" questioned Brennan. She was going to have to experience this same thing with Caleb next year, and the forensic anthropologist wasn't looking forward to it.

"She was excited," Hodgins explained to her. He was happy Lily wanted to go to school, though. That was good. She probably wouldn't like it in the future.

"At least we still have Liam and Patrick at home." Angela was so grateful for the fact that the boys weren't going to start school for another two years. She and Hodgins at least had something to keep them busy. They weren't planning on having another baby until the twins started school, anyway. The couple didn't think they could handle four kids so close in age. By the time Liam and Patrick started pre-school, they'd be three and Lily would be five. That was a good enough age difference.

"Booth and I are happy that Caleb is staying home with us too," Brennan explained, smiling. Like Hodgins and Angela, she and Booth weren't planning on having another baby until Caleb was in pre-school at the least. Maybe kindergarten at the most.

When Jack and Angela picked up their daughter from pre-school later that day, Lily raved all about her teacher and classmates. She loved school, and couldn't wait to go back.

"You think you'll make some new friends?" questioned an excited Angela. She had calmed down eventually, mostly because Booth had come by The Jeffersonian with a new case.

Lily nodded. "A lot of new friends!" she cried happily. She had missed playing with best friend Caleb Booth, though. The two were practically inseparable, considering their fourteen month age difference.

"That's good, Baby Girl." Hodgins smiled at her and then pulled into the driveway.

There would be many more "first days of school" for Lily Montenegro-Hodgins.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You look pretty happy," Angela observed of the recently married Cam, back from her honeymoon with husband, Ian Davis. Ian was a surgeon. He and Cam had met when Angela was in the hospital giving birth to Liam and Patrick. Their relationship had progressed from there.

"I am happy," Cam replied. She loved Ian, and being married to him was wonderful. Michelle adored the man her adoptive mother had married.

"I'm so excited for you, Cam." Angela had never seen Cam this happy before. Neither had Booth. They all liked Ian.

"So how are those little boys that led to me meeting Ian?" Cam was Liam's godmother, while Daisy was Patrick's.

"Still getting over their flu. It was pretty bad there for awhile." Angela had just taken the last two weeks off work while her three year old sons suffered from the flu. Lily and Hodgins had caught it from them a week after that. Angela had managed to not get sick, which she considered a win. Illnesses were caught pretty easily now that there were kids in the house, especially ones that went to school.

"I'm sorry, Angela." Cam hadn't had to deal with any sick kids. She and Ian weren't planning on having them, anyway. She had Michelle, and he had two teenagers from his previous marriage.

"It's okay. Our house is chaotic anyway. A virus sweeping through is nothing new." Angela liked to draw then, to keep sick little kids distracted. Patrick joined her sometimes. He was taking after his mother and had some artistic abilities.

"I still can't believe that Lily was able to go a week without seeing Caleb," Hodgins commented, joining the conversation. Lily and Caleb were best friends. They did pretty much everything together. Their other friends, even at four and five years old, had to accept that Lily and Caleb were hardly ever apart.

"They had a very enthusiastic reunion this morning." Brennan loved the friendship her son and goddaughter shared. Angela was convinced they'd grow up and marry each other someday, but she knew that wasn't rational. They were just friends. Why would they fall in love? Then again, she had said the same thing about herself and Booth all those years ago.

Later that night, when all three kids were in bed, Hodgins and Angela decided to discuss having another baby. They had put off this conversation since September, and it was now February.

"All three of them are in school now. No more babies," Hodgins pointed out to his wife. He smiled at her.

"True. But we just got out of using diapers. Are we ready to do this all over again?" She wanted another baby, but four kids sounded like a lot of work. Angela hadn't pictured this all those years ago when she told Hodgins she wanted a million kids.

"As long as we don't have twins again, I think we'll be fine. Yes, four kids will be hard, but if anyone can do it, we can." Hodgins loved Lily, Liam, and Patrick. They were good kids, even though they had their moments.

"Let's start trying," Angela agreed. She giggled when Hodgins kissed her.

The two began to make love, unaware that they had already conceived their fourth child five days earlier.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Angela and Hodgins walked through the door with their newborn daughter, Katherine Camille Montenegro-Hodgins. They had already nicknamed her Katie.

"Can we see her?" asked an excited Lily. The six year old was thrilled to get a little sister. She loved her younger brothers, but having a little sister was going to be fun.

"Sit down first. Katie needs to be supported," Hodgins told his three older kids. Lily and four years old Liam and Patrick listened.

"Are you going to give us a little brother soon?" Liam would love having a baby brother, although Katie was cute.

Hodgins and Angela exchanged a panicked look. "We'll discuss it later." Angela couldn't think of having another baby right now. Her labor with Katie had lasted twenty-six hours, and the thought of going through that again was horrifying. Five kids would probably be fun, but Angela didn't think she and Hodgins could handle that many kids right now.

"She's beautiful," an amazed Lily whispered when Hodgins handed her Katie. He stayed near his daughters just in case something happened.

"You won't think so when she's keeping you up in the middle of the night," Hodgins informed her. Lily had been too young to remember what it was like after Liam and Patrick were born.

"I'm going to teach her a lot," the six year old declared. She already loved Katie. Lily wanted to call Caleb and tell him about her new sister, but he was probably busy with his own sister. Six weeks ago, her Uncle Booth and Aunt Bren had brought home their own baby. They named her Charlotte Angela Booth. Caleb and Parker couldn't stop talking about Charlotte at all. Lily really wanted to talk to Caleb about Katie now.

The Montenegro-Hodgins had just added one more member to their family, and they adored her.

No one could wait to see what happened next.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's nice to get away from the kids for awhile," Angela told Cam, Brennan, and Daisy. The men were taking care of the kids for the day so the girls could spend some time with each other without the chaos.

"Lancelot and I are glad we're waiting awhile to have a baby." Daisy and Sweets were still young, and weren't ready to have kids.

"Here's some advice. Enjoy the peace and quiet while you still have it." Angela adored her four children, but needed some quiet time once in awhile. That's why she and Hodgins were going on a real honeymoon for their honeymoon. Since she had been pregnant for the wedding, the couple had never got to experience an actual honeymoon.

"I'm glad all three of the kids are out of the house," an amused Cam said. She would have grandchildren to spoil once Michelle started having kids.

"Caleb has decided that he wants to be a singer, so the karaoke machine that my dad got him for Christmas is playing a lot. Way too much. He wakes up Charlotte sometimes." Temperance was glad that she and Booth had decided to stop having kids after Charlotte's birth. Parker, Caleb, and Charlotte were enough for them. They were open to adoption, however.

"Try having an eight year old, two six year olds, and a two year old, Bren." Angela and Hodgins were going crazy, but they wouldn't have it any other way. They loved their family and didn't mind all the kids.

"I still think you two are nuts for wanting to try again," Cam told Angela. She couldn't believe that Hodgins and Angela were serious about having a "million" kids.

"Katie will probably be in school when we do have another baby and that's the way we like it. It's just easier that way." Angela loved her kids. She was still able to work since Lily, Liam, and Patrick attended school and Katie went to daycare.

"I love getting out of the house and The Jeffersonian," Brennan commented. The forensic anthropologist didn't regret her irrational decision to become a mother, but she needed a little time apart from Caleb and Charlotte.

"We should have more of these days," Daisy decided. Angela, Cam, and Brennan agreed with her, setting a date of once a month just to get some quiet time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Angela Montenegro-Hodgins rushed into the emergency room while Jack parked the car. She needed to see her daughter.

"I'm here to see my daughter. She fell at school and I don't know what's wrong with her," she rambled. Even after five kids, she had never really been in this position before. They only got little bumps and bruises. Emergency room trips had been for illnesses, not injuries.

"Your daughter's name?" asked the receptionist.

"Lily Montenegro-Hodgins. She's eleven years old! I need to know if she's okay!" Angela was well aware she was getting hysterical, but didn't care.

The nurse checked to see if Lily's name was listed there and she looked up at Hodgins came into the hospital with five week old Molly. "Mrs. Montenegro-Hodgins, your daughter is fine. She broke her arm and has a slight concussion. I'll call the doctor in to talk to you, but you can go in and see her if you'd like."

Angela breathed a sigh of relief. She and Hodgins followed the nurse back into a different room. "Hey, Baby Girl. How are you feeling?" she asked Lily.

"It hurts a little, but I think I'll be okay," answered the eleven year old. Lily smiled at her parents and youngest sister.

"You scared us so much, Lil." Hodgins hoped they never had to deal with something like this again, but that was probably just wishful thinking. With five kids, they'd probably end up in the emergency room a lot.

"I'm fine, Daddy. I promise. I'll probably be going home soon." Lily was the one who always tried to comfort her parents when something went wrong.

"I see no reason why she can't go home as long as you're there with her. I suggest taking a few days off school. I'll give you a doctor's note," the pediatrician informed Angela and Hodgins about half an hour later.

A few hours later, the couple were on their way home. Lily slept the entire time car ride, and only woke up when they pulled into the driveway. Hodgins picked her up and put her in their bed. He and Angela would be waking her up every few hours, and it was easiest to do in their room. Especially since Molly kept waking them up anyway.

"I made you a card because I want you to feel better," nine year old Liam informed his sister. He handed her the card, signed by both him and Patrick.

Five year old Katie climbed into bed with Lily to comfort her. She was worried about her older sister.

Angela and Hodgins climbed into bed with their four kids after dinner, leaving Molly in her bassinet. They didn't want to squish the newborn or anything.

The couple was proud of their kids for helping to take care of Lily. That said something about their character.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"You look beautiful, Lil. Ian is going to be happy. I hope you enjoy your date!" Angela cried excitedly as her thirteen year old daughter finished zipping up her dress. Lily was going on her first date ever with a classmate from school.

"She's too young to be dating," Hodgins muttered underneath his breath. Eleven year olds Liam and Patrick agreed with their father. They didn't think Lily should be dating either. The twins were overprotective of their older sister. They couldn't help it.

"Boys are gross and no one should ever be with them," declared seven year old Katie. She didn't like Lily going out on a date either.

Two year old Molly just giggled and went off in search of the family dog. None of this stuff interested the toddler.

About ten minutes later, Ian's father arrived to take him and Lily to the school dance. Angela cried as her daughter left, thinking about the day Lily was born.

"Our oldest daughter is growing up so fast and I just want her to be a baby again," she confessed to Hodgins later that night.

"I remember those days. It was just the three of us instead of the seven of us. It was nice. Quiet, too. But I like our family now. I hate that Lily is dating, but I don't mind that she's growing up," Hodgins replied.

Angela turned around to face her husband. "We have five kids ranging in age from thirteen to two. Can you believe that? I kind of want to make it even, but I'm not sure if I could handle another baby right now. Besides, we're getting older. We have a teenager in the house, Hodgins! A teenager!"

"Ange, we are getting older, but we're still in our early forties. If we have another baby, we have another baby. It doesn't matter to me. Lily, Liam, Patrick, Katie, and Molly are enough for me, but a sixth kid would be wonderful." Hodgins leaned over and kissed his wife.

Angela pulled back and laughed. "If we have another baby, it happens. Then again, we said that before and ended up having Liam and Patrick."

Hodgins laughed. A few minutes later, the couple began to make love.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're not my father! I hate you!" sixteen year old Lily screamed at Hodgins. He wasn't letting her attend a concert that she really wanted to go to, and the teenager was throwing a tantrum over it.

"Lily Temperance Montenegro-Hodgins, I've raised you for sixteen years! I adopted you. You may not be related to me by blood, but I am still your father! You will not disrespect me! I won't stand for that."

Angela watched her husband and oldest daughter fight from another room with some trepidation. Truth be told, she had been expecting this fight for a long time, especially now that Lily was a teenager.

"Go away!" Lily shouted. She slammed her bedroom door shut and refused to come out for several hours. When she finally emerged, the teenager's attitude had changed.

"Lil, I know you really wanted to go, but it's a few hours away. You're too young for those kinds of trips," Hodgins explained to her.

"I know, Daddy. I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. I didn't mean it," Lily apologized. She hugged her father.

"I know you are, Baby Girl. I forgive you. I'm not surprised you finally said it. It hurt, but I'll deal with that." Hodgins hugged her back.

Lily and Jack had gotten through their first big fight in sixteen years. It wouldn't be the last one, however. Lily was still a teenager, after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't know what to do," eighteen year old Lily sobbed to her mother. She was graduating from high school in three days, and her boyfriend of two years had just broken up with her.

"Oh, sweetie. I know how you feel. Mark was your first love. Those are always hard to get over. But you can do this, Baby Girl. Don't let a man or woman define you. I never did," Angela comforted, rubbing her oldest daughter's back.

This was Lily's first really bad break-up. She had been in love with Mark Jarsper for several years now, and he had ended the relationship out of the blue.

"It just hurts, Mom." Lily had never thought she would experience this much pain ever. Her mother had warned her about break-ups, but she had never quite believed her until now.

Hodgins, Liam, Patrick, Booth, Sweets, and Caleb all wanted to go teach Mark a lesson, but Angela and Lily had prevented them from doing that. Lily would eventually get over this, and deep down she knew that.

"I know, Baby. I hate seeing you in so much pain. But think about college. You'll meet plenty of guys there. You'll get over Mark soon enough, even if it doesn't feel like that now."

After Lily cried herself to sleep, Angela headed to the kitchen to make dinner. Her daughter was definitely not going to eat tonight.

"If that's what dating is like, I never want a long term boyfriend," declared twelve year old Katie. She was just starting to like boys, so this freaked her out a little.

"Sweetie, not all relationships are like this. I promise you. We both went through some bad relationships before we found each other. We had some problems after we met each other, but we eventually worked past those."

"Your mom's right," interrupted Hodgins. He didn't mind the bad relationships he had been in, because they had led him to Angela.

"Can you tell us how you and Daddy met?" questioned seven year old Molly. She loved hearing stories about her parents' past.

"Sure." Angela smiled at her youngest daughter, and launched into the story of the first day she met Jack Hodgins.

Three days later, Lily Temperance Montenegro-Hodgins' family watched as she graduated from high school.

It was a fresh start for the eighteen year old, and she couldn't wait to see what happened next.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"I can't be pregnant, Mom. I'm twenty years old!" a frantic Lily cried to her mother as they stared at the positive pregnancy test in her hands.

"Lily, I know this is unexpected. I know you're still in college. I was older when I got pregnant with you, but it was still just as unexpected. I know you. You can be a mom and a college student. You also have other options. Do you think Allan will be involved in the baby's life?" Angela questioned. She couldn't believe her twenty year old daughter was pregnant. She was going to be a grandmother!

Lily shook her head. "We broke up about two weeks ago. He told me he didn't want to be with me anymore. Mom, I don't know what to do."

"Talk it over with Allan first. You can do whatever you want to do, but you need to talk to him first. You can't let your father or I affect your decision. You have to make up your mind on your own, Lily." Angela hugged her and left Lily alone in her bedroom.

The Montenegro-Hodgins house was strangely quiet now that Lily, Liam, and Patrick were in college. The eighteen year olds had just started college a few weeks earlier.

Fourteen year old Katie and nine year old Molly were in the kitchen working on honeymoon. Five month old Alyssa was still taking a nap.

Alyssa had been Angela and Jack's surprise baby. They figured they were done having kids and were shocked to learn of her pregnancy. Considering Angela's age, the couple thought she was finally going through menopause. She was a healthy little girl, though.

Six kids were it for them, though. Hodgins had gone in for a vasectomy, and he and Angela weren't going to add to their family. Their kids ranged in age from twenty to five months! It was slightly bizarre.

Lily came back from talking with Allan about two hours later. "He doesn't' t want to be a father at all. I still don't know what to do. Mommy, I need your help," she sobbed.

Angela's heart broke for her. "Baby Girl, I can't tell you what to do. You need to make this decision on your own. Do you think you can be a single mom?"

The sobbing Lily shrugged. "I have to think about it." Angela stayed with her oldest child as Lily tried to make a decision.

No matter what she chose, it wasn't going to be an easy path.

XXXXXXXXX

"This is exactly why you're my best friend, Caleb Booth," Lily raved to him. Caleb had gone with her and Angela to practically every single one of her appointments. He had attended Lamaze classes with her. Caleb had even helped Lily pick out a name for the baby!

The twenty year old had many options, but she finally decided to keep the baby. If her mother could do it, so could she. "I try," an embarrassed Caleb replied.

"So what is my grandson's name?" demanded an excited Angela. She already adored the little boy, and he had only been alive for four hours. Both she and Caleb had been in the delivery room with Lily.

"His name is Christopher Jack Montenegro-Hodgins." Lily and Caleb had come up with that name only three days earlier, and it stuck.

"I've already started calling him CJ," admitted Caleb. Christopher was a pretty long name for a little boy to learn how to spell.

"I don't understand how these two aren't together yet," Booth whispered to Brennan. After all these years, Lily and Caleb were still inseparable.

"I don't understand it either," she whispered back. Her son was clearly in love with Lily. She wasn't sure about the new mother's feelings for Caleb, however.

"Can you believe our kids are eleven months apart?" questioned Hodgins. He was disappointed in his daughter for getting pregnant so young, but he had been pretty supportive of Lily. He already loved his grandson, too.

Lily laughed. "It's hard to believe, Daddy, but it happened." She didn't regret her decision to keep the baby, but that might change after some sleepless nights.

The Montenegro-Hodgins family had just expanded by one more, and no one could have predicted what happened next.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"I can't believe he told me he was in love with me," a shocked Lily said to her father. Her mother was currently out shopping with her younger siblings, and she had no one else to talk to.

"Baby Girl, we all saw this coming. Caleb's been in love with you for years. He's raising your son with you," Hodgins told her. He still couldn't believe that up until this morning, Lily had been oblivious to Caleb's feelings for her.

"CJ does call him Daddy. We never stopped him from that." Now that she was thinking about it, Lily suddenly realized she had been denying her feelings for Caleb Booth for years. How had she missed this?

"So how do you feel about him?" Hodgins couldn't' believe he was getting love advice to his daughter, but he was glad he could help.

"I'm in love with him, Daddy. I love Caleb Hank Booth. I need to go tell him!" Lily jumped out of her chair and bolted out of the house. She headed for Caleb's apartment.

"Looks like we might end up being related to Booth and Brennan," Hodgins told his wife when she returned home.

"Why?" asked a suddenly suspicious Angela. She had a really good feeling about this, though. Her psychic had told her good things were going to happen soon.

"Caleb finally confessed his feelings to Lily, and she went after him." Hodgins couldn't believe he knew before Angela.

She squealed excitedly. "Finally! I need to go call Bren. She'll be excited, too!" Angela got out her cell phone and quickly dialed Brennan's phone number.

The two women talked for hours about Lily and Caleb's potential relationship. They couldn't help it. While it wasn't rational for Temperance, she and Angela had been talking about this for years.

The relationship that everyone had been rooting for years had finally started, and everyone was thrilled about this.

They couldn't wait to see what happened next.

XXXXXXXXXX

Three years later, Jack Hodgins walked his eldest daughter down the aisle. Lily and Caleb's families watched as they finally became husband and wife.

"I love you," Lily whispered to her new husband. She loved being Mrs. Lily Booth. It just fit together. Now she didn't have to use her maiden name on anything. It was hard to always sign forms as Lily Montenegro-Hodgins. She could sign forms as Lily Booth now.

"I love you, too, Lil. So much," Caleb replied. He was glad he had waited years to confess his feelings to her. Things had worked out for the better this way.

"I can't wait to go on our honeymoon." Lily and Caleb adored their five year old son, but they needed to get away from CJ for a little while. They wanted some alone time.

"They remind me of us," Angela told her husband as they watched their daughter and new son-in-law dance for the first time as a married couple.

"Me too," Hodgins admitted. He took Angela's hand and led her out to the dance floor.

"You make me just as happy now as you did then, Jack." Twenty-five years later, and she and Hodgins were still in love.

"You too, Ange. Six kids later and you still look the same as you did the day we became a couple." Hodgins didn't mention their wedding. She had been seven months pregnant with Liam and Patrick then, anyway.

Angela laughed. "I'm so glad you didn't point our wedding day, because I definitely don't look like that anymore. Although, I did give birth six times, so I wouldn't be surprised if I look like I did back then." The twins loved looking at pictures of their parents' wedding just to make fun of their then pregnant mother. It was a family past time now.

"Wendell looks pretty out of place," Hodgins observed. Wendell was still involved in Lily's life, but wasn't around much. He regretted not being a father to her, but there wasn't much he could do about it now. Besides, he had his own wife and two kids now. Lily felt awkward being around them. Hodgins was her dad, and there was nothing that would change that.

"He doesn't know how to react, Hodgins." Angela didn't blame Wendell for being nervous. He hadn't been much of a father to Lily. She was surprised that her daughter had even invited her biological father.

"I love you, Angela Pearly-Gates Montenegro-Hodgins." Jack would never get tired of telling her that, even after twenty-three years of marriage.

"I love you too, Jack Stanley Hodgins." Angela giggled as her husband kissed her. The two began to make out on the dance floor.

"Ewww, guys. This is my wedding. Get your own room," Lily teased as she and Caleb danced past the older couple.

Hodgins and Angela broke apart laughing. They wouldn't change their lives for anything.

The past twenty-five years had been full of twists and turns, but Angela and Jack didn't mind those so much. These events had shaped their lives together.

The Montenegro-Hodgins family and their friends couldn't wait to see what happened next.

With this family, you never knew what would occur. They were all pretty unpredictable.

Nobody cared, though. All they cared about was having fun. If you had fun, everything else went well.

Jack Hodgins stepping up to help Angela Montenegro raise her daughter was something that nobody would have predicted, and it had changed their lives forever.


End file.
